Cash for vote: Countdown begins for ACB notice to Chandrababu

The forensic report on the audio tapes containing the voices of Telangana TDP leader Revanth Reddy and others has become crucial in the cash-for-vote scam.

Ever since Revanth Reddy was arrested in the case, the Telangana Government is sending out feelers that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu would soon be slapped with notices anytime soon. However, as per highly placed sources, the Anti-Corruption-Bureau is said to have decided to send notices to Chandrababu through the court.

After the court receives the FSL report, the ACB may file a petition seeking voice test samples of Chandrababu. The ACB officials had first decided to issue notice to the TDP chief under CRPC Section 160. To avoid law and order situation in the sibling states, the ACB has decided to serve notices through courts and only after getting permission from the court.

Sources say that the ACB is expected to get the report on the authenticity of the tapes from the Forensic Science Laboratory in a day or two.

During a series of high-level meetings with the state Government, the ACB is believed to have been instructed to mention Chandrababu's name in the FIR and issue notices only through the courts. Now, the ACB would soon approach the court with all the collected evidence to seek its permission for sending out notices to the AP CM.

By G Anjali